1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door hinge fixing structure for a refrigerator, and in particular to an improved door hinge fixing structure for a refrigerator which is capable of enabling an easier engagement and separation between a refrigerator main body and a door so that a door hinge structure is simply engaged to and separated from the refrigerator main body without using a predetermined device.
2. Description of the Background Art Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the conventional refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body 10 and a plurality of doors 20. When fabricating the refrigerator, the main body 10 and the doors 20 are individually fabricated. Thereafter, the main body 10 and the doors 20 are assembled. At this time, the doors 20 assembled to the main body so that the doors 20 are rotatable using door hinges 30.
The conventional door hinge fixing structure for a refrigerator which is rotatable between the main body 10 and the doors will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
First, in the hinge engaging structure of a lower portion of the refrigerator, a pin 40a inserted into a pin insertion hole 20a formed within a lower end portion of the door 20 is upwardly formed, and an engaging hole 40b is formed in a side portion of the main body 10 for being engaged into a lower hinge engaging hole 10a by a bolt 50.
In addition, in the hinge engaging structure of an upper portion of the refrigerator, a square-shaped support hinge 60 is fixed in an upper portion of the main body 10 of the refrigerator 10 and has a plurality of screw engaging holes 60a.
A predetermined-shaped upper hinge 70 has a plurality of screw engaging holes 70b engaged with the engaging holes 60a of the support hinge 60 and has a pin 70a inserted into a pin insertion hole 20b formed in an upper end portion of the door 20.
There are provided a plurality of screws 50 for engaging the upper hinge 70 and the support hinge 60 through the screw engaging holes 70b of the upper hinge 70 and the screw engaging holes 60a of the support hinge 60.
The upper hinges 70 and the support hinges 80 are provided in multiple in the upper portions of the main body 10.
The assembling of the conventional refrigerator door hinge fixing structure and the engaging process of the refrigerator main body 10 and the doors 20 will now be explained.
First, the engaging holes 40b formed in the lower hinge 40 are matched with the lower hinge engaging holes 10a formed in both lower end portions of the main body 10, and then the engaging holes 40b and the lower hinge engaging holes 10a are engaged using an engaging member such as a bolt 50, so that the lower hinge 40 is fixed to the lower portion of the refrigerator main body 10.
The pin 40a formed on an upper surface of the lower hinge 40 fixed to the lower portion of the main body 10 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 20a formed in the lower surface of the door 20, and the lower portion of the door 10 is engaged to the lower hinge 40.
The pin 70a formed in the lower surface of the upper hinge 70 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 20b formed in the upper surface of the door 20, and a plurality of screw engaging holes 70b formed on the upper surface of the upper hinge 70 are matched with the screw engaging holes 60a of the support hinges 60 formed to the upper surface of the refrigerator main body 10.
The upper hinge 70 is fixed to the refrigerator main body 10, and the door 20 and the refrigerator main body 10 are engaged using the screw engaging holes 70b of the upper hinge 70 and the screw engaging holes 60a of the support hinge 60 and the bolts 50.
In addition, when detaching the doors 20 from the refrigerator main body 10, the above-described engaging procedure is reversely performed.
However, in the above described conventional door hinge fixing structure for the refrigerator, the fabrication process is made complicated due to the use of tools and additional elements such as an engaging member for engaging and detaching the door and main body, and the fabrication time may be extended.
In addition, the engaging state of the screws may be loosened due to the abrasion of the screws by repeated engagement and separation between the door and the main body, so that the door may be deformed due to the loosened hinges.